Serrano – Pati Jinichhttps://patijinich.com
Pati Jinich is host of the popular Emmy and James Beard nominated PBS series Pati's Mexican Table, author of two cookbooks, and resident chef at the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington, DC. This is her official website where she shares recipes from her show and new recipes in her blog, plus upcoming events, recent news, and more.Tue, 26 Sep 2017 16:07:33 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.7.5https://patijinich.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/cropped-molcajete-site-icon-32x32.pngSerrano – Pati Jinichhttps://patijinich.com
3232Serrano Chile in Lemon and Oilhttps://patijinich.com/recipe/serrano-chile-in-lemon-and-oil/
https://patijinich.com/recipe/serrano-chile-in-lemon-and-oil/#respondFri, 21 Oct 2016 20:52:38 +0000http://patijinich.com/?post_type=recipe&p=14268

Serrano Chile in Lemon and Oil

Serranos en Aceite y Limón

ServingsAbout 1/2cup

Ingredients

2serrano chilesdeveined, seeds removed, and thinly sliced

2tablespoonsfreshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4cupolive oil

1/4teaspoonkosher or coarse sea salt

Instructions

In a small bowl, add the chiles, lemon juice, olive oil and salt. Mix together and let marinate for at least 1 hour.

]]>https://patijinich.com/recipe/serrano-chile-in-lemon-and-oil/feed/0Mexican Style Eggs: A la Papihttps://patijinich.com/recipe/mexican_style_eggs/
https://patijinich.com/recipe/mexican_style_eggs/#commentsTue, 25 Aug 2009 12:16:25 +0000http://dev.patismexicantable.com/2009/08/mexican_style_eggs/“All I want is a hamburger, a hot dog, a Pizza, a nice big steak, some Texas style bar-b-q and a big plate of pancakes… no tacos or anything Mexican ok?” My dad said, after devouring the welcoming meal I prepared for him, which happened to be Tacos de Guisado.

Guisados are Mexican style stews, which can be ladled into warm corn tortillas. There are plenty of Fondas or small restaurants that specialize in them throughout Mexico. Since my dad loves them, I received him with three of his favorites: Chicken Tinga heavy on the chipotle, beef cooked in a green salsa with cubed potatoes and nopalitos, cactus paddles, sauteed with onion, Guajillo Chilies and corn. There were also refried beans and white rice, as they are such friendly sides to tacos.

After he made it clear that he didn’t want anything Mexican for the next three days, making me laugh so hard along the way, we set off to satisfy his cravings.

The next morning we were at the pancake place in front of a double stack of buttermilk pancakes with butter, extra maple syrup and bacon. And some grits. It was hard to make him wait for lunch. When he lost all patience he dragged me to the Pizza place and then had a Hot Fudge Sundae from across the street. Dinner came around soon enough along with steaks, baked potatoes and a Mexican Chayote salad I sneaked in there.

The next morning, after lox and bagels at home, we went for a late Texas style bar-b-q lunch. Dinner was a Reuben with lots of dill pickles and a potato salad. But the last morning he couldn’t help it.

As he tied one of my aprons around his waist, he announced, I am making the best Huevos a la Mexicana that you have ever tried in your life. So we chopped just enough onion, less tomatoes than I would have wanted and a lot of Jalapeños. As he cooked, he used strange and probably non-existing terms to describe what made his eggs so tasty… See how I am un-rawing the onion and mushing the tomato?

There are countless egg dishes in Mexican cooking, one better than the other. But these are the ones I prepare the most at home. They are easy to make, super tasty and dress up a breakfast in a wink. What’s more, I always have oil, eggs, tomatoes, onion and either Jalapeño or Serrano chiles handy.

Although the ingredients are always the same, versions can vary. That is mostly because some people like my dad cook the tomatoes slightly, while others like me cook the tomatoes until they are pasty and smooshy looking (I see where I get my funny use of terms now). The ratio of ingredients also varies. I use more tomatoes than my dad, but we both like it spicy. Whereas I like to eat them with hot corn tortillas, my dad likes to eat them with toasted sandwich bread (some people love these eggs with a side of toast smothered in cream cheese and that is pretty tasty too…).

This just makes me think of how accommodating Mexican food is. You can learn a basic idea and how to make it, and then tweak it to your preference.

Though while we were making breakfast I was craving for more tomatoes in those eggs, and wishing we could cook them a bit more, I have to admit that his version that morning topped off any that I have tried. Maybe it was because of the way he explained why his version was the most incredible in the world, maybe it was because of how much he enjoyed eating them and scooping some into corn tortillas to make some tacos for me (he had said no more tacos but one can only go so many days without tacos, you know?), or maybe it was because I was sad to see him go.

We didn’t get to the hot dogs or the hamburgers. I had thought of the places to take him so he could eat them all, but we ran out of time. But as it’s been said, you have to leave something for the next time if you want that next time to happen. I have until then to recover from all that eating.

Meanwhile, I leave you with a recipe for Huevos a la Mexicana, my father’s style, with some notes on my variations. But you can come up with yours!

(My dad looking out the window, almost time for the airport)

EGGS A LA MEXICANA

Servings4people

Ingredients

4tablespoonscorn, safflower or vegetable oil

1/2cupwhite onionchopped

1jalapeño or serrano chile seededif less heat desired and finely chopped, or more to taste ( we went for 3)

3/4poundripe tomatoesabout 2 cups chopped (I add an extra cup)

8eggslightly beaten

1/2teaspoonkosher or sea saltmore or less to taste

Hot corn tortillas or pieces of toast

Instructions

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions, and cook stirring often for about 4 minutes, until they have softened but not browned. Stir in the chiles, cook for another minute. Incorporate the chopped tomatoes and let the mix cook and season, stirring often, for about 5 minutes (I let them cook about 4 to 5 minutes more until tomatoes are thoroughly cooked, mushy and their red color has deepened).

Meanwhile, crack the eggs in a bowl, add some salt, and beat them with a whisk or fork. Lower the heat to medium-low and pour eggs over the tomato mix. Stir as the eggs cook until desired donenness, but don't let them dry up. Serve with a side of refried beans, hot tortillas or a piece of toast.

]]>https://patijinich.com/recipe/mexican_style_eggs/feed/12Serrano Chilehttps://patijinich.com/chile_serrano/
https://patijinich.com/chile_serrano/#commentsMon, 29 Jun 2009 10:43:38 +0000http://dev.patismexicantable.com/2009/06/chile_serrano/Mexican cooking authority Diana Kennedy has said that the Serrano chile has the shape of a bullet. One could say that it tastes like one too! Serranos are spicy. However, as with most chiles, you can pump down the heat by removing the seeds and veins.

They have, like the Jalapeños, a dark and deep green color, shinny skin and a small and thin stem. However, Serranos tend to be on the smaller side and are much thinner and appear longer.

It seems to me, Serranos have a fuller and more flagrant flavor than the Jalapeños. Don’t buy them if the have wrinkled skin or brown or black spots.

]]>https://patijinich.com/chile_serrano/feed/1Corn: In a bowl or on a stickhttps://patijinich.com/recipe/corn_in_a_bowl_or_on_a_stick/
https://patijinich.com/recipe/corn_in_a_bowl_or_on_a_stick/#commentsWed, 29 Apr 2009 10:44:54 +0000http://dev.patismexicantable.com/2009/04/corn_in_a_bowl_or_on_a_stick/In Mexican cooking, corn is eaten and drank, in just about every possible way… Esquites, freshly shaved corn usually cooked in a buttery broth with epazote leaves and Serrano chile, is one of the most popular takes. So much so, that my boys counted eight Esquite street carts in the small down town square of Chihuahua, when we were there last month.

It is very common to walk through the streets in a Mexican city or village, no matter how tiny it may be, and find a wide array of street food stands boasting the dishes that Mexicans abroad hanker for the most: Antojitos, or little cravings. Each one being a Universe compounded with layers of flavors, in its own right.

Esquites, as most of the Antojitos, is a very versatile dish. You may eat the whole cooked corn on a stick, or shaved off the cob, cooked and seasoned and served in a cup. Then, you can dress it up or dress it down according to your mood, with the traditional and complementing garnishes of mayonnaise or Mexican cream, crumbled salty Cotija or aged cheese, lime juice, salt and ground dried piquí­n chile.

I just shared it last week with the Fox midday news team.

My boys, of course, prefer the more hands on way of eating it, on a stick. They each have their personal spins. My middle one likes it with just butter, mayo and crumbled salty cheese. On top of that, my little one adds salt and some drops of limejuice. My oldest one proudly eats it, “with a lot of absolutely everything”… Which just means adding ground chile piquin to the later mix… but heavily loaded on all fronts.

It is a good time to try it now that we start to see the beautiful fresh corn in the markets. It is up to you to decide if you want it nice and neat in a cup or deliciously messy on a stick.

Cooked and Seasoned Corn

Esquites

Ingredients

2tablespoonsunsalted butter

1tablespoonsafflower or corn oil

1serrano chileor more to taste, chopped (seeding optional for less heat)

Melt the butter together with the oil on a cooking pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped chiles and let them cook for about 20 to 30 seconds, moving them around.

Incorporate the corn, chopped fresh epazote leaves or dried epazote leaf, water and salt. Stir it all up and bring to a simmer. Cover with a lid, bring heat to medium-low and cook for 12 to 14 minutes, until the corn is cooked but still tender. Turn off the heat. You may leave the corn in the pot for a couple hours.

You may also cook the whole corn in salted water with the epazote leaves. Once it is cooked and ready, garnish with the same ingredients.

]]>https://patijinich.com/recipe/corn_in_a_bowl_or_on_a_stick/feed/6Cooked Salsa Verde: Basic Recipehttps://patijinich.com/recipe/cooked_salsa_verde/
https://patijinich.com/recipe/cooked_salsa_verde/#commentsThu, 16 Apr 2009 13:45:32 +0000http://dev.patismexicantable.com/2009/04/cooked_salsa_verde/This is a versatile basic green tomatillo salsa. It can be drizzled on top of Mexican Antojos, such as Tostadas, Tacos, Quesadillas and Sopes… It can also be used to make Green Enchiladas or Chilaquiles. It can be spooned on top of eggs in the morning, used as a side garnish to grilled meats and as the seasoning to bake some fresh flaky fish in the oven. I could go on and on though…. here it goes: